Corn-husking device.



' No. 877,461 PATENTBDJAN, 21, 1908. A. E. HALL.

001m HUSKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IIL'ED MAB. 8, 1907..-

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I M W Q I A. E. HALL. CORN HUSKING DEVICE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1907.

No. 877,461. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908.

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z 53 mm Q 6 AlmonEHwZl UNITED SATS ALMON EJHALL, OF WILLIAMSTOWN,MASSACHUSETTS.

CORN-HUSKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application filed March 8.1907- Serial No. 361322.

.T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMoN E. HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing atWilliamstown, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inCornI-Iusking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn husking machines for stripping the husksfrom ears of .corn; and it has for its object to present a machine ofthis class which shall possess superior advantages in point ofsimplicity, durability, ease and certainty of operation, and generalefiiciency.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination. of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and par ticularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theinvention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machineconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, thesection being taken on the plane indicated by the line 1-1 in Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is asectional detail view taken transversely through the pairs of huskingrolls and related parts. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the presserlever. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of one of the arms or movablemembers of the presser lever. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view of thespacing wedge.

Corresponding parts in the several figui es are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The frame of the improved machine comprises legs or supporting members11 supporting a table or bed piece 2 having an aperture 3. The bed plate2 supports a hood or casing 4 having a depending bracket 5 upon which ispivoted a lever 6, one end of which carries a plate 7 that is disposedabove the aperture 3 in the bed plate; the plate 7 is counterbalanced bya weight 8 carried by the opposite end of the lever 6 and serving tosupport the plate 7 normally in an approximately horizontal position asshown in Fig. 1. The plate 7 is intended to temporarily support the earsof corn that are to be operated upon, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, but this plate and its supporting means may be dispensedwith, if desired, in the discretion of the manufacturer of the machine.

The bed plate 2 supports pairs of uprights 9-9 disposed adjacent to theaperture 3, and having bearings for the pairs of husking rolls 10 and11. The shafts 12 of the upper husking rolls are vertically movable intheir bearings, and are forced downwardly by means of blocks 13 abovewhich washers 14 of rubber or other suitable resilient material arepreferably arranged, said resilient washers being compressed by means ofrigid washers 15 and fastening screws 16 so that the upper husking rollswill be held against the lower husking rolls with the desired degree ofpressure. The husking rolls may be constructed of, or faced with, anysuitable material, such as rubber, but they are preferably made ofcast-iron and provided with longitudinally fluted or corrugated surfacesas shown in the drawings.

The frame of the machine is provided with bearings for a main shaft 17which may be driven in any suitable manner from a convenient source ofpower; motion is transmitted from the shaft 17 by a link belt 18 t0 theshaft 19 of one of the lower husking rolls. The upperhusking rolladjacent to the lower one WIllCll is thus positively driven, is drivenby intermeshing pinions 19 at the ends of the shafts of said rolls, anda link belt 20 serves to transmit motion from the upper husking roll ofone of the pairs to the lower roll of the other pair; the two pairs ofrolls will thus be driven simultaneously in the proper directions.

The table or bed plate 2 is provided intermediate the uprights 99 withguides 21 for a pair of transversely movable slides 22 having brackets23 that extend downwardly through the aperture in the table; said slidesare forced toward each other by means of suitably arranged springs 24.Each of the slides 22 carries pairs of uprights 25 and 26 in each ofwhich are journaled pairs of rollers 27 and 28, over which are guidedendless belts 29, the outer faces of which are provided with barbs orprongs 30. The lower husking rolls 11 have reduced portions 31, thatextend through the endless belts 29 and are provided with sprocketwheels 33 engaging in the slots or apertures 34 in said endless belts;the endless belts 29 will thus be driven in the same direction as saidlower husking rolls. It will be seen that by the construction which hasbeen described, the slides 22 carrying the uprights supporting theendless belts are capable of transverse movement upon the table or bedplate of the machine without interrupting or interfering with theoperation of the endless belts.

- For the pur ose of forcing the slides 22 a art from eac 1 otheragainst the tension of t e springs 24 there is employed a wedge 36supported at the upper end of a lever 37 which is fulcrumed at 38 uponthe frame of the machine, the lower end of said lever 37 being guided ina peri heral cam groove 39 formed in a disk or pulley 40 upon the maindriving shaft. It will be seen that when the machine is in operation,the lever 37 will be rocked by engagement with the cam groove 39, thusreciprocating the wedge 36 which alternately enters between and iswithdrawn from the depending brackets 23 of the slides 22,; when thewedge enters between the depending brackets, the slides will be forced aart againstthe tension of the springs 24; wien on the other hand, thewedge is withdrawn, the slides will be forced toward each Other by theaction of the said springs.

The uprights or standards 9 that support the rear ends of the huskingrolls are connected by a shaft or cross-bar 41 upon which is ivoted orfulcrumed' a member which I cal the presser lever L, the rear end ofwhich is connected by a knuckle joint 42 with one end of a link orconnecting rod 43, the other end. of which is suitably connected with awrist pin 44 upon a disk 45 mounted at one end of the driven shaft 17 sothat by the rotation of said shaft a rocking or vibratory motion will beimparted to the lever L. Said lever is provided, forwardly of itsfulcrum, with laterally extending lugs 46 with which are hingedlyconnected a air of for-. wardly extending laterally movab le arms 47,the free ends of which are pressed in the direction of the forward endof the lever L by means of suitably disposed springs 48. The free endsof the arms 47 are provided on their undersides with resilient cushionplates 49 having barbs or prongs 50.

The'operations of the parts of the machine is to be so timed that whenthe slides 22 are forced toward each other by the action of the springs24, the forward end of the presser lever carrying the laterally movablearms 47 will at the same time descend. When an ear of corn is presentedbetween the presser lever and the endless movable belts 29 carried bythe slides, the prongs or barbs 30 of the belts and the prongs 50 uponthe-resilient cushions carried by the arms 47 of the presser lever willengage the husk, and will rip or loosen the same upon the car; as theslides are forced apart by the action of the wedge 36, the loosenedhusks will be carried by the toothed belts 29 in the direction of thehusking rolls, and the loose ends of the husks will be seized by thelatter and be carried between the husking rolls, being thus strippedfrom the ear, and drop upon the ground adjacent to the sides of machine,or into receptacles provided for the purpose. The ear of corn, deprivedof the husk, will drop through the aperture 3 in the table or bed plateof the machine be low which a suitable receptacle may be placed. If thesupporting table 7 is used the weight of the ear of corn willoverbalance the weight 8, thus causing the supporting plate to be tiltedsufficiently to permit the ear to drop through the aperture in the bedplate.

The cars are fed to the machine by hand by an operator who is stationedin front of the machine; experience has demonstrated that with thismachine the ears may be fed and husked with great rapidity and in athoroughly eflicient and satisfactory manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, What I claim as new is 1; Ina corn husking machine, a pair of husking rolls, a slide supported forreciprocation, an endless belt carried by the slide and traveling aroundone of the husking rolls, means for operating the slide, and a-presser.member pivoted adjacent to theslide carrying the endless belt.

2. In a corn husking machine, a pair of husking rolls, a slide supportedfor reciprocation, an endless belt movably supported upon the slide andhaving teeth or prongs, means for operating the slide, and a pressermember pivoted adjacent to the slide; one of the husking rolls beingextended between the leads of the endless belt supported upon the slide.

3. In a corn husking machine, a pairof husking rolls, a slide supported:for reciprocation, a driven shaft supported in stationary bearingsadjacent to the slide, a bent engaging member upon said shaft, means foroperating the slide, and a presser member pivoted adjacent to the slide.

4. In a corn husking machine, pairs of husking rolls, a pair of slidessupported for re. ciprocation adjacent to the husking rolls andtransversely thereof, endless belts carried by the slides, means foroperating said belts in the direction of the lower husking rolls, and apresser member pivoted adjacent to and intermediate of the slides.

5. In a corn husking machine pairs of husking rolls, slides supportedfor reciprocation in opposite directions between and transversely of thehusking rolls, endless toothed belts carried by the slides, means foroperat:

ing the belts in the same direction as the lower husking rolls, and apresser member-pivoted adjacent to and intermediate of the slides.

6. In acorn huskingmachine, pairs ofhusking rolls, a pair of slidessupported for reciprocation in opposite directions intermediate andtransversely of the husking rolls, toothed I with barbed resilientcushions; and means endless belts carried by the slides, means foroperating said belts in the same direction as the lower husking rollsand apresser member pivoted adjacent to the slides and having aterallymovable arms.

7. In a corn husking machine, a pair of slides, endless belts supportedthereon and movable in opposite directions, and a presser member pivotedintermediate of and adjacent to the slides.

8. In a corn husking machine, a pair of slides supported forreciprocation in opposite directions, endless belts carried upon saidslides, means for operating said belts in oppo site directions, and apresser member pivoted adjacent to the slides and having laterallymovable arms.

9. In a corn husking machine, a pair of slides supported forreciprocation in opposite directions, endless belts carried by theslides, means for operating said belts in opposite directions, and apresser member pivoted adjacent to the slides and having laterallymovable arms provided with resilient barbed cushions.

10. In a corn husking machine, a pivotally supported ear engagingpresser member having laterally movable arms; and means cooperatingtherewith for holding the ears of corn.

11. In a corn husking machine, a pivotally supported presser memberhaving laterally movable arms provided with barbed resilient cushions;and means cooperating therewith for holding the ears of corn.

12. In a corn husking machine, a pivotally supported ear engagingpresser member, and arms hingedly connected with said member, said armsbeing provided at their free ends cooperating therewith for holding theears of corn.

13. In a corn husking machine, husk engaging and loosening meansconsisting of endless belts, slides supporting said belts, means forreciprocating said slides in opposite directions, means for continuouslyoperating the belts while the slides are being reciprocated, and meansfor pressing an ear of corn in the direction of the endless belts.

14. In a corn husking machine husk loosening means consisting of endlesstoothed belts, slides supporting said belts, means for reciprocatingsaid slides in opposite directions, means for continuously operating theendless belts while the slides are being reciprocated, a presser memberpivoted adjacent to and in the direction of the endless belts carried bythe slides, and laterally movable arms connected With said pressermember and having terminal resilient barbed cushions.

15. In a corn husking machine, pairs of husk stripping rolls, huskloosening means consisting of endless belts, slides supporting saidbelts, means for reciprocating said slides in opposite directionstransversely of the husk stripping rolls, means for continuouslyoperating the endless belts While the slides are being reciprocated, apresser member pivoted adjacent to the slides, a tiltingly mounted earsupporting table, and means for counterbalancing the latter.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALMON E. HALL.

Witnesses:

A. E. SPENCER, A. E. KEMP.

